About jazz drum solo transcriptions

Learning solos note-for-note is one of the oldest ways to master jazz drumming. This section includes solos by the founders of modern jazz drumming – Max Roach, Art Blakey and Tony Williams – alongside modern masters such as Dave Weckl, Brian Blade, Ari Hoenig, Mark Guiliana, Larnell Lewis and Israeli drummers Ofri Nehemya and Daniel Dor.

Max Roach’s solos with the Clifford Brown–Max Roach Quintet in the 1950s are some of the most melodic in jazz history, while the modern solos show how today’s players use odd groupings, metric modulation and gospel and fusion vocabulary.

How to learn a jazz drum solo

Listen to the solo many times and sing it before you play it. Learn it a phrase at a time, well below tempo, keeping the swing feel even when you play slowly. Notice how the soloist develops short motifs and follows the form of the tune – then take your favourite phrases into your own trading and soloing.

Jazz drum sheet music in the store

All 27 Jazz songs in the store are transcribed note-for-note from the original recordings:

• Max Roach Solo – What Is This Thing Called Love – drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo
• Max Roach Solo – I’ll Remember April – from Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 300
• Ari Hoenig Solo – Rhythm – drums: Ari Hoenig, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 130
• Dave Weckl Solo – Hard Wired – from Hard-Wired (1994), drums: Dave Weckl, fusion drum solo
• Brian Blade Solo – Jazz Crimes – drums: Brian Blade, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 110
• Max Roach Solo – Powell’s Prances – from Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 310
• Max Roach Solo – The Scene Is Clean – from Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 160
• Max Roach Solo – Jordu – from Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1955), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 140
• Mark Guiliana Solo – Dhafer Youssef Odd Elegy – from Diwan Of Beauty And Odd (2016), drums: Mark Guiliana, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 108
• Max Roach Solo – Love Is A Many Splendored Thing – from Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 310
• Dave Weckl Solo – Watch Your Step – drums: Dave Weckl, fusion drum solo
• Ari Hoenig Solo – The Other – drums: Ari Hoenig, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 115
• Art Blakey Solo – This I Dig Of You – from Soul Station (1960), drums: Art Blakey, hard-bop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 250
• Max Roach Solo – Sandu – from Study In Brown (1955), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 140
• Max Roach Solo – Delilah – from Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1955), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 140
• Tony Williams Solo – Seven Steps To Heaven – from Seven Steps To Heaven (1963), drums: Tony Williams, post-bop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 260
• Max Roach Solo – Flossie Lou – from Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 200
• Max Roach Solo – Joy Spring – from Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1955), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 160
• Ari Hoenig Solo – Arrows And Loops Outro – drums: Ari Hoenig, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 130
• Daniel Dor Solo – Avishai Cohen C#- – drums: Daniel Dor, modern jazz drum solo
• Ari Hoenig Solo – Arrows And Loops Intro – drums: Ari Hoenig, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 130
• Ofri Nehemya Solo – Avishai Cohen Shlosre – drums: Ofri Nehemya, modern jazz drum solo
• Ofri Nehemya Solo – Sheva – drums: Ofri Nehemya, modern jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 100
• Max Roach Solo – Cherokee – from Study In Brown (1955), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 360
• Larnell Lewis Solo – The City Lights – from Relive The Moment (2018), drums: Larnell Lewis, jazz-fusion drum solo, ♩ ≈ 160
• Max Roach Solo – Daahoud – from Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1955), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 240
• Max Roach Solo – Gertrudes Bounce – from Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956), drums: Max Roach, bebop jazz drum solo, ♩ ≈ 240

Frequently asked questions about Jazz drum sheet music

Which Jazz song should I learn first on drums?

Max Roach’s “Jordu”, “Delilah” or “Sandu” are at medium tempos and are great first solos. Then move to faster Roach solos such as “Cherokee”, or to modern solos by Brian Blade and Ari Hoenig.

Is this Jazz drum sheet music or drum tabs?

It is full drum sheet music – standard drum notation on a five-line staff, transcribed note-for-note from the original recordings. Unlike drum tabs, notation shows the exact rhythm of every note, so you can play the parts exactly as they sound on the record.

Is there a discount for buying several songs?

Yes – buy any 3 songs from the store and the 4th is free. The discount is applied automatically in the cart.

Can I get a Jazz song that is not listed here?

Yes. Order a custom drum transcription of any song on YouTube and it will be transcribed note-for-note for you.

Do the transcriptions include the whole solo?

Yes – every solo is transcribed note-for-note from the original recording, from the first phrase to the last.